NBA agent Bernie Lee, who represents Miami Heat veteran Jimmy Butler and Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons, took a shot at ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith after the analyst ripped Simmons.
During a recent podcast appearance, Smith said that Simmons is lucky he isn’t “in prison for theft” — likely as a reference to his availability issues — and also questioned the 27-year-old’s decision to train in Miami, a place known for its distractions.
Stephen A. Smith says Ben Simmons is lucky ‘he’s not in prison for robbery.’ 🤣😅
Watch full episode here: https://t.co/znw620dHMT pic.twitter.com/IQs3UK1QYy
— The OGs Show (@theOGsShow) July 13, 2024
NetsDaily reached out to Lee for comment, and he didn’t hold back.
1/2 Yesterday, Stephen A Smith said on @theOGsShow that Ben Simmons is “lucky he’s not in prison for theft” and his choice of Miami as a rehab site showed he doesn’t love the game. https://t.co/57xWO6kUZP
— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) July 14, 2024
2/2. So we asked Bernie Lee, Simmons agent, for comment. His response:
“Quite Frankly.. I think Stephen A is an idiot and I only wish he still had he’s TV show so I could sit in his audience and voice my opinion to him while he attempted to do his job…alas.. it got canceled…”— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) July 14, 2024
Smith and Lee are two individuals who often speak their minds, so a disagreement between the two of them isn’t the most shocking thing to witness. It’s entirely possible that Smith will respond to Lee’s comments in the coming days.
Simmons is working to bounce back after a 2023-24 season where he appeared in just 15 games due to injury. He also appeared in just 42 games in the 2022-23 season and didn’t see the floor at all during the 2021-22 campaign, with a multitude of factors contributing to that.
As a result of the three-season stretch in question, he has played in a total of 57 games since the end of the 2020-21 season.
Simmons, a three-time All-Star, is a very talented player, but his work ethic has been called into question at times, and he hasn’t played like the best version of himself since he joined the Nets.
Regardless, it’s clear that Lee has his client’s back, and Simmons will have a chance to prove his doubters wrong in the upcoming season.
Meanwhile, Butler, Lee’s other high-profile NBA client, is also preparing for a season where he’ll have something to prove. Butler wasn’t able to suit up in the 2024 NBA Playoffs due to injury, and the Heat were quickly eliminated without him. This coming season, he’ll look to get his squad back to the NBA Finals and perhaps even over the championship hump.
Simmons and Butler were actually teammates years ago on the Philadelphia 76ers, and they seemingly didn’t have the best relationship. But even so, it’s a safe bet that Lee is going to stick up for both of them whenever necessary.
